OXFORD – For the second week in a row, the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels secured a convincing non-conference home victory, but this time it was the running game that took center stage alongside quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Ole Miss (2-0) defeated the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 52-3 on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and its offense continued to work efficiently even after its 76-0 victory over Furman in Week 1.
Running back Henry Parrish Jr. finished the day with 165 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Rebels in both categories. He left the game in the third quarter with an apparent injury, but returned later in the third quarter and scored a touchdown that extended Ole Miss’ lead to 45-3.
Jaxson Dart also had an impressive day, even if he didn’t have as many passing touchdowns as he did last Saturday. Dart threw 24 consecutive passes to start the game and maintained that mark until the fourth quarter.
With his 24 consecutive completions, Dart broke the school record for most consecutive completions in a single game, previously held by Matt Corral (19 in 2020), as well as the SEC record for most consecutive completions in a single game, previously held by Tee Martin (23 in 1998).
Dart finished the day with 377 yards through the air and a pass and run score. The Rebels totaled over 600 yards of offense in the win.
Ole Miss’ defense held MTSU in check, although the Rebels allowed some big plays in the secondary. Middle Tennessee quarterback Nicholas Vattiato finished the day with 209 yards through the air.
From a defensive stats perspective, TJ Dottery, Pooh Paul and Trey Washington led the way with six total tackles, and John Saunders Jr. caught an impressive interception for the Rebels in the third quarter that set up another Ole Miss scoring drive. The Rebels also finished the game with nine tackles for loss after recording 16 TFLs last week.
Ole Miss opened the season 2-0, outscoring opponents 128-3. Next week, they’ll have their first road test of the year when they travel to face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on The CW.
